156 THE ESKIMO ABOUT BERING STRAIT [ETH ANN. 18 
elsewhere in Alaska. These bows are of the kind generally in use, but 
some are made without backing. At St Michael, and thence to the 
northward, bows without sinew backing were common, but the majority 
of all bows in this region have a backing of some kind. 
A large number of bows were collected which vary considerably in 
form and style of backing. 
Figure 1, plate Lx, illustrates a bow from Askinuk, narrowed and 
thickened in the middle, where it is grasped by the hand; thence it 
broadeus in each direction for a short distance and then narrows 
toward the tips, where it is notched for the reception of the string. 
Figure 4, plate Lx, from Nunivak island, is a bow with a heavy 
sinew cable along the back, with three sets of cross-lashings to hold it 
in position; the string is of twisted sinew. 
Figure 2, plate Lx, from the lower Yukon, is backed with a single 
heavy cable of sinew, with two cross-lashings near the ends and one in 
th» middle. 
Figure 6, plate Lx, is a bow from Askinuk, made with a single cable 
as backing, which is held in position by fine cross-lashings; to force up 
and tighten this backing two small wooden blocks, each notched on its 
upper side, are inserted on one side of the middle. 
Figure 5, plate LX, is a broad, heavy bow from Tununuk, with a sin- 
gle cable along the back and a continuous lashing to hold it in position 
along the inner two-thirds of its length. The string is of sinew, with a 
wrapping of spruce root on the middle to afford a good hold for the 
fingers. 
Figure 7, plate Lx, from Nunivak island, has a single cable along the 
back, which is held in position by a continuous cross-lashing along 
the middle third and one near each end; inserted under the cable in 
the center of the bow is a long strip of ivory, flattened below and 
grooved above, to receive the cable, which is intended as a strength- 
ener and to give elasticity. 
Figure 3, plate Lx, from Unalaklit, has two flattened cables of sinew 
along the back, with a thin layerof skin beneath them. They are held 
in position by a continuous cross-lashing of sinew, which extends along 
the entire length from within about six inches of the ends, 
Figure 8, plate Lx, from Pastolik, has a single light cable along the 
back, with a cross-lashing extending about one-third of the length each 
way from the middle. This bow has a double curve about one-fourth 
of the length inward from each end; along the back, in this curve, is 
laid a piece of deerhorn, which is flat on the lower side for resting 
upon the bow and grooved above to receive the cable. 
Figure 10, plate LX, represents a heavy bow obtained by Captain 
Hooper on St Lawrence island. It has a double curve about eight 
inches from each end and is backed with a series of braided sinew 
cords, the ends of which are wound around the bow and form cross- 
lashings for about eight inches from each end. 
Figure 11, plate Lx, is a bow from Cape Vancouver, with a double 
